A Manchester resident, Riley Thibodeau, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for his involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney John J. McCormack.
Thibodeau, aged 26, admitted to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliot. Co-defendant Ronny Ramos had previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced on December 9, 2024, to ten years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Court documents reveal that Thibodeau's conspiracy involved trafficking approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Massachusetts to New Hampshire between March and October 2023. Ramos received five separate orders from Thibodeau through an intermediary, with payments made the same way. Each order ranged from 10-12 pounds at around $20,000 per order, delivered to Thibodeau in New Hampshire. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement arrested Ramos in Methuen, Massachusetts, seizing ten pounds of methamphetamine intended for Thibodeau.
The statute under which Thibodeau is charged allows for a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a fine up to $1 million. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Manchester Police Department, Salem Police Department, and Methuen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is handling the prosecution.
